Aside from needing to spend more money to buy things we don’t really need or wouldn’t normally buy, why else are we working so hard to send out cards, wrap presents, decorate trees and make giant messes on Christmas morning? In the hustle and bustle of every day life, it is sometimes easy to forget why Christmas has always been my favorite holiday growing up.

Lots of Waiting

We waited for nearly an hour for a 20-second visit with Santa because Santa’s *ehem* helper (aka, mall photographer) had a computer system that kept crashing. Then he kept checking the settings on his camera and the wire connections from his camera to the computer because his camera wasn’t functioning properly. This, of course, happened when we were the next in line.

Now I felt this season was more like “Oh No! Oh No!” than “Ho ho ho!”

The Only Reason To Visit Santa

It is not about sitting with Santa to get a photo with him.

It is ALL about having time with the one man in the entire World who creates magic on Christmas morning. This person flies around the entire World in one night to every single house to put toys under trees and in stockings, and thereby bringing smiles to kids everywhere.

This is the first year my 4-year old truly sees how cool Santa Claus is and feels the magic of Christmas. If this was a movie, the “I Believe” meter would go off the charts!

So her 20-seconds with Santa was to talk to him about how good she has been this year and that she wants him to bring her a My Little Pony set that has “Sweetie Bell”… in case he didn’t receive her letter!

Needless to say, the ridiculously long wait in line was well worth every sweat of frustration for me and my hubs. (Not sure if Ian felt the same way, but he had cookies to keep him content!)

Homeward Bound

All the way home, Melia bounced like Tigger. She was so excited that she — one single girl in all the World of little girls and boys — got her chance to talk to Santa!

And she told me Santa listened to her and said he’d get that present for her! Melia couldn’t sleep til late that night.

HO HO HO From Me and My Monkeys!

May you rediscover the magic of the holidays as I did.

The next day, I sent Lawrence out to buy Sweetie Bell. And I finished my last client photoshoot for the year, so my focus is entirely on my own family…

oh annie! i love your eye! my faves are santa’s hand on hip (too cute and totally made me chuckle!) and melia on santa’s lap. gotta love how sweet she looks while talking to him! oh gosh, and i love, love, love the shot of your kids. ok, i really don’t have any faves. i LOVE all the shots (as usual)!!! happy new year!

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